Richard Dunne is expected to return to the Manchester City defence for Sunday’s Barclays Premier League trip to Anfield after missing the 3-2 defeat to Fulham with a hamstring injury.

Fulham boss Roy Hodgson kept faith with the side hammered at home by Liverpool last week as the Cottagers looked to revive their flagging survival hopes by beating Manchester City at Eastlands.

Franck Queudrue has been handed his first Birmingham start for two months in today's home Premier League clash with Manchester City.

NO goal-threat, a defender who pleads to come off at half-time at Old Trafford and now rumours of a split in the dressing room. Bolton’s fate looks clearer with each passing week.

IRELAND’S new management team have only just got their feet under the desk in Abbotstown, but already they must be wondering why their presence was demanded in the first place.

SVEN-GORAN Eriksson admits Manchester City will need a tactical rethink if they are to remain in the hunt for a European place.

On an emotional day at Old Trafford, the names of every one of the 23 who died following the Munich air disaster were displayed around the pitch.

DANIEL STURRIDGE’S first Barclays Premier League goal moved Manchester City back into a UEFA Cup spot as they denied Derby a long overdue victory at Pride Park.

Manchester City defender Micah Richards is out of Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round tie at Sheffield United with a knee injury.

West Ham have been dealt a blow ahead of today’s Premier League clash at Manchester City after striker Dean Ashton was ruled out due to a back injury.

West Ham skipper Lucas Neill returned from a hamstring injury at Eastlands tonight as the 2005 finalists looked to go beyond the first stage of this season’s FA Cup by beating Manchester City.

THIS will hardly feature in a highlights video of Liverpool’s year as Europe’s capital of culture but while that moniker has always split those who prioritise finance over arts, Everton were happy to bank three points.

VAULTING ambition has never been in short supply at Manchester City, but for the first time in years the club’s ever-expectant faithful now have cause for genuine optimism.

Elano has been left on the bench by Sven-Goran Eriksson tonight as Manchester City looked to maintain their 100% Premier League home record by beating Blackburn at Eastlands.

SHOULD Ireland ever be drawn in a qualifying group with England then the FA would do well to use White Hart Lane as a venue.

CHRIS KIRKLAND has given his backing to calamity defender Titus Bramble, despite the defender’s catastrophic blunder against Manchester City.

THIS has been a particularly turbulent time in the always eventful life of Stephen Ireland but, for now at least, the midfielder is cutting an unusually contented figure.

SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON insists Joe Hart will become an international number one, just two weeks after conceding six goals at Chelsea.

Portsmouth 0 Manchester City 0

MANCHESTER City bounced back from their mauling against Chelsea to book a place in the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup. But their victory against the struggling home side was not without controversy.

SVEN-GORAN ERIKSSON is already looking forward to Christmas. The Manchester City manager believes the hectic festive programme will give a true indication of how good his side are, although a run of six successive home wins suggests December will not hold any unpleasant surprises.

Man City 1 Norwich City 0

Georgios Samaras was handed the chance to rebuild his shattered reputation after Sven-Goran Eriksson gave the Greek forward his first Manchester City start of the season.

FC Thun: Jakupovic, Orman, Hodzic, Deumi, Goncalves, Ferreira, Milicevic, Aegerter, Leandro, Adriano, Lustrinelli. Subs: Portmann, Bernardi, Duruz, Gelson, Spadoto, Faye, Sen.

Sol Campbell made his first start of the season to captain Arsenal in their Champions League opener against FC Thun at Highbury.